Monday, December 19, 2016

Miracles Happening

I really can't believe that next Sunday is Christmas. It has
really flown by since August. I can't believe that I have been out for four
months already. Time flies! It has been super cold up here! We even got snow, which never happens
out here apparently! We got probably 4 inches of snow where we live. For about
three days our cars were grounded so we couldn't drive at all! It was pretty
crazy. There is still snow and ice in some places, but it is starting to warm
up (warm is about 37.. ) but I am doing good.

This week here was crazy. Between the snow and not having
our cars and some other stuff, it has been a weird week. But the best part of
it all has been that we have seen a ton of miracles. On one night, we went
through all of our plans with about 30 minutes to spare. The crazy thing is
that it gets soooo dark out here so early, so it isn't always easy to talk to
people on the streets at night. We decided to say a prayer to know where we
should go. We prayed and felt prompted to go in one direction. After about 20
minutes of no luck, we decided it would be best to head back towards the church
where the car was parked. We felt prompted to go down one more street and then
take the back way to the church. We started to walk past some apartment
complex, when we saw some big scary looking dude come out of nowhere. I have
learned that you should talk to everyone, so we just started talking to him and
were able to talk a little bit about the Plan of Salvation and the Book of
Mormon! It was really cool. We definitely didn't need to be in that part of
town at that specific time right as this man walked outside of his apartment,
but we know that we were guided there by the Spirit and that Heavenly Father
truly placed that man in our path.

The entire week has been full of miracles like that. It has
been really amazing to see. We had some really good lessons yesterday as well.
The work is definitely picking up here in Stayton. I know that obedience and
diligence are the only ways in which we can truly see those tender mercies in
our lives! The ward here is awesome too. We are really starting to work well
with the members. Brother Graham, our ward mission leader, is an amazing man.
He is really motivated to help out. I think he appreciates that we are excited
about doing the work here as well. We even set up a combined third hour on the
first Sunday of the New Year in which we will help all of the members, age 12
and up, make tabbed Books of Mormon that answer the questions of the soul and
then challenge them to each hand the one that they made out within two or three
weeks! It should be awesome.

It is amazing to think of the faith throughout the stories of the Book of Mormon and then that faith that continued with the early saints, as well as those who faithfully follow Christ and His restored Gospel today, even when it is not in line with natural man mindset that most of the world has today. I think that it is cool that faith is really a central theme from the very beginning of the Book of Mormon. Nephi wanted to know if what his father was saying was true, so he had the faith to pray and ask God and the faith that he would get an answer, which of course he did! And then the faith of Lehi and Sariah and taking their family into the wilderness to follow where the Lord wanted them to go and leaving all of their personal stuff and worldly riches to follow in faith! Faith is such a huge part of the Book of Mormon and really everything that we know to be true at all. I think that there is a reason that the first principle in the Gospel of Jesus Christ is faith, because when our faith increases, then we are willing to repent, follow Christ's example and be baptized by someone holding the proper priesthood authority and continue on the path on following Him! During an exchange in my last area I remember talking with Elder Christensen about faith for a really long time. We talked about how our faith doesn't ever stop growing, as long as we are continuing to try and allow it to grow. Once we become complacent with our faith, then we start going backwards. There is no such thing as having "enough" faith! As we continue to follow Christ and are obedient to His commandments, our faith will ALWAYS grow, which allows us to bear those trials with patience and hope, and also allows us to help others through their trials.